


Alright

by daraenss



Category: The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Party, Gen, It's all about Link, No Romance, One Shot, Post-Game, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:35:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daraenss/pseuds/daraenss
Summary: After a long war against the king of evil, Ganondorf, Hyrule is living in an era of peace. In a timeline in which Link decides to stay in the future, he is labeled as a hero and now enjoys the simple life. During the winter, he is invited to celebrate a holiday in Lon-Lon Ranch.
Kudos: 1





	Alright

**Author's Note:**

> This piece is part of a Secret Santa event that was being held on Twitter! I hope @NymphaDoodlez enjoys this little one shot I wrote for them!
> 
> English is not my first language, so I'm sorry if there are any typos!

Looking at the big, tall mountains, with their peaks covered in snow, was something that Link could not get tired of. The deepness of the world widened in front of him, with great speed and without stopping for anything or anyone. Even if he was an adult, he couldn’t help feeling fascinated by that—he had been sleeping for seven long years, in which the world around him evolved quickly. Feeling lost was expected, but he was slowly getting on the right track again. After defeating Ganondorf and his evil schemes, the world was in the palm of his hand and, at the same time, it was slipping from his fingers. Now that the world was enjoying peace after a severe war that lasted years, he could spend his time discovering even the most silly, little things in every corner of the great kingdom of Hyrule: from mountains covered in snow; to the hot summer days in the desert; to the orange-like leaves that fell, crunching when stepped on, in Hyrule market; and the beautiful spring in which flowers blossomed colorful. He spent all his life inside the Kokiri Forest, so he only remembered the treetops on top of his head and the occasional snowflake that found its way onto the village in winter, to surprise every kid and make a wise, old tree chuckle to himself a little bit.

That year, however, he did not expect to receive an invitation from Lon-Lon Ranch, but it still was a pleasant surprise. He was not used to celebrating the holidays with someone else, but Talon seemed more than eager to receive the silent hero in his ranch once again. On the back of the letter there was a little message, written by Malon, in which she asked him to bring Epona with him. Link could not help but laugh a little bit, soothing his loyal steed as he read that.

As the night fell, the cold that pierced through his body came along too. As he looked outside of the stable, he stared at the field—the moon was his only guide when the sun was nowhere in sight. Even if there was no evil around them, he still took his sword with him, securing the sheath on his back. Maybe that adventure had caused him some kind of anxiety, that fear that was ringing his ear every day and night; that fear of dying if he didn’t remain vigilant. He was covering his horse in clothing, since he didn’t want her to get cold in the field, but those terrible thoughts were invading his mind. What if something happened to the stable while he was away? Could he really trust that everything was okay? What if it wasn’t okay? What if--

“... ‘ey, hero,” an unfamiliar voice shook Link away from his thoughts. As he turned around, he saw the owner of the stable in the back, looking at him with an eyebrow raised. He got closer to him. “Are you going out this late?”

Link gulped upon hearing his words. It was true, the stars already covered the sky in a blanket of weak light for a while, so it was late indeed. He had never been a man known for his words, so he stood some time in silence and, after some seconds, he nodded. The owner stared at him for a while—Link had been using his stable for some months now, but he had never heard his voice. Their only conversations were simple yes or no questions and, when it was time to pay rent for the stable, Link only gave him a bag of rupees and left without saying a single word. Even so, the owner didn’t feel any malice from him—How could he? Link was the hero of Hyrule, after all. Renting him a spot on his stable during winter was the least he could do for him.

“... ‘kay,” said the owner. “Take care out there. Today might be a holiday and so, but don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled in the night.”

Link nodded again and the owner finally left. The night was incredibly chilly, almost as Zora’s Domain when he visited that place after his seven-year slumber. On his neck he had a scarf that he knitted himself, his hands were covered with his brown, fingerless gloves. He was so attached to his green outfit that he wore it even in winter. Without wasting any more time, he freed Epona from the stable, got on her back and galloped away from the place.

He didn’t know what to expect from that Lon-Lon Ranch celebration, but seeing the entrance beautifully decorated with flower arrangements made Link stop in the spot. He got down Epona just to stare at the place more carefully, taking out his sword just to be ready for any secret ambush that could be hiding in those red flowers that matched the green leaves around them. The tip of his sword reflected the light of the moon, making it shine and expose its sharpness even more.

But he didn’t find anyone on the entrance. It was more like he was found. Talon, who had gone back to the ranch after the incident with Ganondorf and Ingo, went out for a little bit, just to find Link inspecting every nook and cranny. He stared at him for a few seconds, just to burst into laughter, grabbing his belly.

“Did you find the party in the flowers, Link?” he asked, making Link turn to him. “Come on in, boy, everyone’s waiting.”

Even if he was usually stoic, the embarrassment on his face was crystal clear. The blush on his cheeks warmed him a little bit, as he quickly put his sword back on his sheath. He followed Talon to the entrance, guiding Epona with him. The atmosphere on the inside of the ranch was something out-of-that-world. Lights were everywhere, decorating every corner, tables with delicious-looking food laid in one side, and dogs and cats playing around. Link could not help it but smile softly upon looking at that scene, it felt so new to him, yet so warm. He hadn’t heard about such tradition outside of the forest; usually, there was a time of the year in which the children gave each other gifts, but nothing as grand as that. There was no doubt that Hylians knew how to celebrate things on a great scale.

The rest of the night went smoothly. Link knew he was kind of a glutton, yet the surprise in the people’s face didn’t go unnoticed by the silent hero. The way he devoured the food on his plate was something new to everyone, but he had the right to be hungry, especially with such an amazing buffet prepared by the hosts. Just as the moon started to shine brightly above their heads, Link was already stuffed. He sat down to rest a little bit, and saw the children running around, playing and laughing—it was just like the view he had in the forest, in which the kids played and the fairyless boy stared at them. And, just like in his memories, a girl sat beside him to watch. This time, however, instead of Saria, it was the owner’s daughter, Malon.

“Hey, fairy boy,” Malon chanted as she sat down, putting her arms around her knees. “Enjoying the party, I presume?”

She wasn’t expecting an answer from him, so getting a nod was good enough for her. She looked at the kids playing and sat there for a while, maybe enjoying his company in silence was enough. She tried asking him about Epona’s wellbeing before, but the only answers she got were nods with the head—she didn’t mind, though, she was already used to his lack of words. Link looked everywhere, finding his surroundings extremely amusing; he preferred to see everything from the sidelines rather than getting involved in it.

“Actually…” Link mumbled. “I’m having fun, you’re right.”

Maybe it was the fact that he never said a word, but listening to his voice made Malon blink twice as she turned to him, unbelieving what she had heard. Nonetheless, she quickly smiled softly and stared at the rest of the ranch again.

Link also had a small grin on his face. _He was happy._ Even after everything that had happened in Hyrule, he was happy. He could see the moon and feel sheltered by it, unlike those nights that he had to be wary, protecting itself from monsters. But now, he was happy. He felt calm. He could enjoy a small holiday with others and feel like everything was alright, because it was.

_He was alright._

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first one shot for this fandom. I love The Legend of Zelda with all of my heart, so when I had to decide a personality for Link, I decided to use his iconic silent nature as the main feature for this piece. I had so much fun writing this.
> 
> I hope everyone is having a merry (and safe) Christmas! Any support is greatly appreciated!


End file.
